With Florida and Georgia set to face off on Saturday, here are some notable recruiting battles between both programs for the 2028 class.
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The Florida-Georgia rivalry is one of the strongest and deepest in college football. It's also a rivalry that's carried over to the recruiting trail.
That's the case early on for the 2028 cycle. Both programs have dipped into each other's home state, and could potentially steal some top in-state targets from the other program.
There are certainly more than five recruitments that the Gators and the Bulldogs are battling each other form, but I've highlighted the five most notable recruitments Florida and Georgia are firmly in the mix in.
Here are those five recruitments along with the current pulse in each.
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Florida's 2028 QB dominoes: Flip candidates, intel on top uncommitted signal-callers
Florida's 2028 quarterback recruiting picture is taking shape. Get the latest intel on commitments, potential flips and the top uncommitted targets across the Sunshine State.
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The quarterback dominoes are starting to take shape in Florida's 2028 class, and the decisions made by some of the state's top signal-callers could have a ripple effect on the rest of the board.
From emerging leaders and new contenders to committed signal-callers on flip watch, here's the latest on the quarterbacks in Florida's 2028 class and where things stand in their recruitments.
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Jadan Baugh preparing to face talented Georgia defense in return to his hometown
The Atlanta native is preparing to face a talented Georgia defense in his hometown of Atlanta when Florida takes on the Bulldogs Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
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He may not want to publicly acknowledge as much, yet given his status as a potential early-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft, Florida junior running back Jadan Baugh is preparing for what very well may be his final opportunity to secure a coveted victory against the Gators' primary rival in the Southeastern Conference, the Georgia Bulldogs. And for Baugh, an Atlanta native who was under-recruited as a result of his role in high school, Saturday's 3:30 p.m. ET contest at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will mark his first chance to play in his hometown.
Focused as Baugh may be on the contest itself, playing in front of a significant number of friends and family – Baugh is hoping to acquire nearly 30 tickets for Saturday's game – undeniably adds a level of excitement.
"It means everything to me honestly, but I'm trying not to put too much emotions into it, because one thing my Dad always preached to me is 'Don't get excited' If you get too excited, you'll be trying to be overly ready for the moment. For me, I'm just looking it at as another game and just being very detailed, going into this game," Baugh said Monday. "I feel like we have to prepare the right way before we start thinking about playing this game."
For Florida, that will require a similar effort to its previous time out, its 27-24 victory over Texas on Oct. 17, though one with fewer mistakes in the first half as UF was required to overcome a slow start offensively and multiple self-inflicted issues before rallying in the second half in Austin.
Although he didn't exceed the 100-yard milestone as a rusher against the Longhorns, Baugh bounced back, with 91 rushing yards on 25 attempts, with Florida sticking to the rushing attack after its previous two contests left much to be desired from a ground-attack standpoint.
It may not have been an explosive performance reminiscent of his September stretch, where Baugh accumulated 600 rushing yards across four wins in an undefeated opening month of the 2026 season, yet it was an effective one nonetheless, and subsequently sparked hope the Gators can remain effective on the ground amid questions regarding who will start at signal-caller Saturday.
"What I would say is, different than the previous two games, we were able to stay on schedule with the run game at times. Wasn't always pretty. You watch the first four games, everybody got used to the explosives and the wow plays. You watch the next two games and it's like, alright, we are running into a brick wall a little bit. We still ran into a brick wall at times at Texas. Their defense is dang good. But we ran into a brick wall and got three yards a lot, or four yards. Really nothing we did offensively, including Jadan, was flashy," UF head coach Jon Sumrall said. "Jadan was probably the poster child in that game, not as many wow plays but a lot of three-yard gains."
Generating a greater number of explosive plays against the 'Dawgs may be required for Florida to end October on a high note, and embracing the significance of the contest could be a catalyst for success.
As much as teams emphasize the importance of treating each game similarly, Florida entered the week acknowledging the obvious: The rivalry with Georgia does carry larger weight.
That can't lead to an alteration to the team's preparation, however.
"Coach said it the other day: I'm trying to treat it as another game but at the same time, it means something. We have to understand that. But again, I'm trying to say every week, let's prepare the right way. Let's prepare how we should prepare, the best way we can just to get better because you know they're doing the same thing. We have to do it better," Baugh said. "Whatever that means, if that means get more sleep, that could mean do that better. If that means be in the training room more, that could be it. So you just have to prepare the right way to get the result that we need."
Whatever's required Saturday will be what UF embraces, even if it means a methodical, patient approach in the run game.
No stranger to contact, Baugh's preparing as if that will be the case against a Georgia defense ranked second in the conference in defending the run.
"It means everything. Even coming to college. It was kind of hard for me because in high school, I wanted to break every run. I was trying to do everything and not understanding that you know, some runs are going to be ugly runs, put your head down and just go. Me being young-minded, last year and the year before, I'm like 'I don't care,' I'm trying to break every run for a touchdown. That Texas game actually showed me, 'Hey, ok, every run is not going to be a big run, but be patient. One of them is going to pop,'" Baugh said. "My teammates were telling me that, especially the O Line. It was 'hey, we're good, and once we get three yards or four, one of them is going to pop and you know, at the end of the game it did."
If he breaks another long run Saturday, Baugh will presumably do so in front of a large contingent of supporters, in what may be his last experience with the Florida-Georgia rivalry, which may be his final chance to down the 'Dawgs.
And, it's an occasion to remind the top team from his home state what they missed out on; The 'Dawgs recruited Baugh as a linebacker rather than a running back prior to his commitment to Florida, an evaluation that was understandable at the time given his role in high school yet one that it's fair to say has not aged well considering Baugh's ascension as one of the nation's top rushers.
"They recruited me in my tenth grade year, but after that, they wanted me on the defensive side of the ball, but I didn't want to play defense, so," Baugh recalled of the Bulldogs' recruiting efforts. "They was looking over me and I didn't too much care. But Florida gave me a platform. They brought me in with open arms to just go out there and play the best ball I can play."
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